Inspired by legendary Stanford University women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, this Fund will honor her extraordinary legacy by providing fellowships for aspiring women coaches in all collegiate sports, from basketball and volleyball to water polo and fencing, providing opportunities for women coaches to excel and become leaders.

Teacher. Mentor. Leader. Woman. Coach.
She teaches, coaches and transforms. She helps girls grow into women who want to win, in sport and in life. She inspires them to pass it on. She’s a coach. And inspiring girls and women, is what they do.

In sport and life, girls need to see women in leadership roles.
In the 50 years since Title IX’s passage, the percentage of women in collegiate coaching roles has declined. In the 1970-71 academic year, 90% of all head coaches for women’s college teams were women. In 2023, women held only 42% of these positions in women’s NCAA sports.

WSF is determined to change that. Honoring Tara VanDerveer, this pioneering program provides grants, paid fellowships and mentorships for aspiring women coaches. Emphasizing hands-on training for women coaches in all collegiate sports, from basketball and volleyball to water polo and fencing, it is a salute to the extraordinary compassion, optimism and leadership that its namesake has shown over the years.

The Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching is proudly administered by WSF and supported through generous private and public donations.

Grant Deadlines

Anticipated Application Timeline

• January 7, 2025 – Applications open.
• March 12, 2025 – Deadline to submit applications!
• April 11, 2025 – First round review is completed, and all applicants notified.
• April 14 – April 28, 2025 – Second round review, schools that advance may be asked for a phone interview.
• May 6, 2025 – Schools notified of status and grant agreements to be sent out after.

*This timeline is subject to change.

Grant Eligibility

• Institutions of higher education with varsity athletic programs that are located within the 50 United States, District of Columbia and U.S. Territories, including tribal colleges and universities
• All NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA and other athletic association member institutions are encouraged to apply.
• Institutions may apply with a specific candidate for the WSF VanDerveer Fellowship in mind but an individual may not apply here to gain a WSF VanDerveer Fellowship for herself. (e.g. individuals must be sponsored by a university or college which would submit the application.)

Grant Criteria

A judging committee will evaluate each application based on the information provided in the application including the following criteria:

• Profile of the institution’s proposed mentor coach and perceived mentorship experience of the WSF VanDerveer Fellow
• Proposed job description for the WSF VanDerveer Fellow
• Institution’s plan and process for selecting a WSF VanDerveer Fellow
• Institution’s commitment to provide additional support to the WSF VanDerveer Fellow, above and beyond WSF grant money
• The institution’s demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion for its athletics department, and faculty and student-body overall

Objectives of Grant

The WSF Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching addresses a key challenge of Title IX: while the landmark legislation opened doors for girls and women in sports, the percentage of women in collegiate coaching has declined sharply. In 1971, women held 90% of head coaching roles for women’s college teams; by the 2023-24 academic year, that figure is just 42% in the NCAA. The gap is even more stark for BIPOC women, who account for only 7% of head coaching roles in women’s NCAA sports. Women also hold just 29% of NCAA assistant coaching positions, with BIPOC women making up only 7% of assistants across men’s and women’s teams. All the while, women head coaches of men’s collegiate teams has remained relatively stagnant during the same time frame.

This grant program seeks to address the lack of women in collegiate coaching by prioritizing investment, professional development, networking, and mentorship. Grants are awarded to institutions of higher education in the United States which are committed to the objective of the Fund.

Grant Requirements

Awarded institutions must agree to the following:

• To use the grant for its intended purpose. (e.g. to create or increase the salary/stipend of a WSF VanDerveer Fellow, room and board, and professional development opportunities)
• To allow the selected fellow to attend at least 3 professional development opportunities (one being the Women’s Sports Foundation’s annual Sports Advocacy Network meeting and Annual Salute to Women in Sports awards gala).
• To include recognition of this grant and the Women’s Sports Foundation in all publicity surrounding this Fellowship position.
• To be available for interview(s) on behalf of the Women’s Sports Foundation based on advanced notice and availability.
• To provide two progress reports, one midway through the fellowship and one at the conclusion. If you do not satisfy these reporting requirements you will not be eligible to reapply for this or any other WSF grant in the future.

Grant Expectations for Professional Development

In order to fulfill the grant requirements, a VanDerveer Fellow is expected to attend at least two professional development opportunities (e.g. relevant coaching association conference, women’s coaching networking events). The WSF VanDerveer Fellow will have $2,500 to spend on professional development. This amount is over and above the $15,000 grant.

Additionally, WSF VanDerveer Fellows will be expected to attend the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute in October. Travel and lodging for this event will be paid and organized by WSF and is not expected to come out of the $2,500 professional development budget.

Grant Award

Institutions will be awarded $15,000 to be used in support of their Fellow; an additional $2,500 will be provided specifically for professional development opportunities for the WSF VanDerveer Fellow.

It is up to the awarded institution to determine how they would like to distribute funds to the Fellow (e.g. via installments or one lump sum). Institutions may choose to increase a WSF VanDerveer Fellow stipend or salary by adding money from their institutional budget.

Grant Allocation

Funds are given directly to the college or university to provide stipends to their WSF VanDerveer Fellows as well as to cover costs of housing, training, mentoring, and professional opportunities.

How to Apply

During the program application period, an authorized representative must visit Foundant GLM, the Women’s Sports Foundation’s grant-management system, and follow the directions to register a new user profile or update an existing profile. Limit one (1) profile per person/email address. Once your profile is registered, you will be able to save and submit your application on the website.

Please read carefully through the full eligibility requirements, college guidelines and program criteria before starting a Foundant account and applying. Applicants will be judged on what information is available or provided at the time of application submission.

Notification of Application Acceptance

You will receive an e-mail at the e-mail address provided in your profile when your application has been received.

Any application that is late, incomplete or requesting funds for an event or purchase of equipment that will occur before the applicant would receive the grant money will not be accepted.

Other conditions under which an application will not be accepted:

• Applications that are e-mailed or faxed
• Applications for programs that require compulsory religious participation
• Applications requesting funding towards the purchase of land, construction of buildings, event sponsorships, and/or the purchase/care of animals
• Applications requesting retroactive funding

2024 Recipients

Donate Now to the WSF VanDerveer Fund

Contact

If after reading these guidelines carefully you still have questions, please contact Morgan Powell: 516.307.3971 or MPowell@WomensSportsFoundation.org

In sport and life, girls need to see women in leadership roles. Unfortunately, there are fewer women coaches today than before Title IX. Through the generosity of Scott Pioli and his family, we are working to change that.

The Scott Pioli & Family Fund for Women Football Coaches and Scouts was established in 2018, to fund dreams. To make it possible for more women football coaches and scouts to defy the gender gap, and go for their goals. The Fund provides direct financial assistance to women football coaches and scouts who have demonstrated potential. Supporting their development, education and training. Helping them take their careers to the next level in colleges, universities and the NFL.

Grant Deadlines

Anticipated Application Timeline

• January 15, 2025 – Applications open.
• May 1, 2025- Applications close.
• June 9, 2025 – Evaluation process is completed, all applicants notified of funding decision and grant agreements sent out.

*This timeline is subject to change.

Grant Eligibility

U.S. football coaches or scouts in college or professional football who may be part-time coaches or scouts, graduate assistant coaches or scouts or professional coaches or scouts with demonstrated financial need and who are committed to advancing the objectives of the fund.

Grant Criteria

Applications will be evaluated and grants will be awarded according to the following criteria:

• Financial need;
• Potential for advancement;
• Lack of support from traditional sources; and
• Potential impact of grant on advancing the objectives of the fund.

How would the receiving the grant affect compliance with my organization?

Coaches applying for funding are responsible for ensuring their requests falls within all rules and regulations of their governance organization(s).

Grant Allocation

Grants can be used for reimbursement of job-related expenses including housing expenses.

Grant Award

Grant amounts will range between $2,000-$10,000.

How to Apply

During the program application period, an authorized representative must visit Foundant GLM, the Women’s Sports Foundation’s grant-management system, and follow the directions to register a new user profile or update an existing profile. Limit one (1) profile per person/email address. Once your profile is registered, you will be able to save and submit your application on the website.

Please read carefully through the full eligibility requirements and program criteria before starting a Foundant account and applying. Applicants will be judged on what information is available or provided at the time of application submission.

Recipients

About Scott Pioli

A three-time Super Bowl winner and five-time NFL executive of the year winner, Scott Pioli was named NFL Executive of the Decade by Sporting News and Sports Illustrated and named ESPN Personnel Executive of the Decade. Pioli is passionate about the importance of equality, education and the arts and focuses on those three cornerstones through several initiatives. Pioli most recently served as the assistant general manager for the Atlanta Falcons and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), The Women’s Intersport Network for Kansas City (WIN for KC) and the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Pioli also serves on the board for College for Every Student, a national nonprofit committed to underserved youth, most of whom will be first-generation college students. Pioli also founded the WIN for KC Pioli Scholarship, along with a number of academic scholarships geared toward first-generation college students. Pioli joined the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Trustees in 2018.

Notification of Application Acceptance

You will receive an e-mail at the e-mail address provided in your profile when your application has been received.

Any application that is late, incomplete or requesting funds for an event or purchase of equipment that will occur before the applicant would receive the grant money will not be accepted.

Other conditions under which an application will not be accepted:

• Applications that are e-mailed or faxed
• Applications for programs that require compulsory religious participation
• Applications requesting funding towards the purchase of land, construction of buildings, event sponsorships, providing scholarships to individuals and/or the purchase/care of animals
• Applications requesting retroactive funding

Donate Now to the Scott Pioli & Family Fund

Contact

If you have questions about making a donation, please contact Jean Tatge: 646.813.7238 or JTatge@WomensSportsFoundation.org.

If, after reading the guidelines carefully you still have questions, please contact Morgan Powell: 516.307.3971 or MPowell@WomensSportsFoundation.org.